The electrical systems of motor vehicles of all types are becoming increasingly complex. Generally, motor vehicles are provided with a wiring harness, which is a prefabricated bundle of wires having appropriate terminals for interconnection of the appropriate electrical components and subsystems of the vehicle. Often, a wiring harness, or a portion thereof, must pass through a bulkhead. As used herein, the term "bulkhead" is meant to include fire walls, acoustical barriers, dash panels pressure resistant walls and the like. Generally, it has been found most advantageous to utilize multiple terminal connectors to convey a number of electrical terminals through such bulkheads. Additionally, multiple terminal connectors are employed in other situations, both vehicular and non-vehicular where very large numbers of electrical terminals must be reversibly interconnected.
It is necessary that any multiple terminal electrical connector provide for the rapid, accurate, reversible and reliable interconnection of the appropriate wire pairs. Generally, most multiple terminal connectors comprise a pair of matable base members, each having one or more of the appropriate terminals retained therein. The base members maintain the terminals in the appropriate orientation and allow for ready connection and disconnection thereof. In most vehicular applications, it is further desirable that the connectors provide for the environmentally sealed interconnection of the terminals so as to prevent failures due to moisture or corrosion. It is additionally desirable that the connectors be immune to loosening from vibration or other mechanical impact.
A noise free passenger environment is generally quite important in automobiles, aircraft and other motor vehicles; and toward this end, manufacturers frequently soundproof the passenger compartment. For example, in automotive construction, sound from the engine compartment is excluded from the passenger compartment by a layer of relatively thick sound absorbing material disposed upon the dash panel bulkhead. It has been found that gaps even as small as 2-3 millimeters in the soundproofing will allow intolerable levels of engine noise to pass into the passenger compartment. Any type of connector passing through the bulkhead should be configured so as to preclude any gaps in the sound barrier which could pass noise therethrough.
There are a great variety of multiple terminal connectors known in the prior art and adapted for use in vehicular applications. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,179 discloses a multiple terminal electrical connector assembly developed for automotive use. While this connector does provide for the passage of terminals through a bulkhead wall, this particular terminal typifies problems of the prior art insofar as it is configured for one particular application and not readily reconfigurable. A given wiring harness is generally specific for a given model of vehicle, and in some instances will even vary within a particular model depending upon options, accessories and other ancillary equipment. The prior art has required manufacturers to employ a differently configured connector for each variant of wiring harness. Clearly, there are many problems associated with the inventory and handling of many different connectors. Aside from the obvious expense of maintaining a complicated and extensive stock, further problems arise from the inadvertent installation of the wrong parts. The socket of the connector in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,179 is configured so that it may receive several alternative plug members and hence some limited flexibility of application is possible. However, a multiplicity of plug members must be stocked and the number of different configurations attainable with a connector of this type is fairly small; thus it is not a "universal" connector.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,179 connector, as is typical of many such connectors, includes a bolt for rigidly interconnecting the two portions. It has been found that the presence of the bolt can detrimentally affect the quality of the electrical connections because the bolt serves as a point for passage of ambient moisture to the interior of the connector and such moisture can corrode or otherwise breach electrical contact between the terminals.
It should be clear from the foregoing, that there is a need for a multiple terminal electrical connector which can be disposed in a number of alternative configurations to reliably and rapidly establish a multiplicity of electrical interconnections. It is further desired that such a connector maintain the appropriate polarity of the connections and that it provide a thorough environmental seal at the point of connection. It if further desired that the connector be compatible with, and not detract from, sound proofing methods employed in vehicular construction. The present invention provides for a simple to use, inexpensive multiple terminal connector. The connector of the present invention may be employed in various configurations to interconnect differing numbers and dispositions of terminals. Furthermore, the connector of the present invention includes unique sealing structures to prevent environmental contamination of the electrical contacts. The present connector is particularly well suited for interconnecting various portions of vehicular wiring systems; however, it should be appreciated that a connector of this type also finds utility in many non-vehicular applications. These and other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the drawings, discussion and description which follow.